Overview: United States Army Garrison (USAG), Camp Zama, Japan

Camp Zama is located in the Kanagawa Prefecture, about 25 miles southwest of central Tokyo in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Camp Zama is known locally as "the jewel of the Orient." Trees line the streets and surround the area. During the spring the cherry blooms add to the beauty of the base. There is an award-winning 18-hole golf course and a fishing pond (Dewey Park) located on the base. Camp Zama has been honored to win several awards for its facilities and services. A mixture of historic and modern buildings provides for a unique surrounding.

01

Overview

U.S. Army Japan

Camp Zama was the Imperial Japanese Army Academy. Route 51 is a road to Camp Zama that was specifically built in order for the Emperor of Japan to travel to review the graduating classes. The Emperor Showa, or Hirohito, visited Camp Zama in 1937. Camp Zama also houses an emergency shelter for the Emperor, and to this day, it has been maintained by the US Army Garrison Japan (17th ASG). The Camp Zama theater workshop is the only building remaining from the pre-occupation era. It is a large hall that was used for ceremonies by the Imperial Japanese Army.

02

Location/Driving Directions

Master Sgt. Leo Salinas/U.S. Marine Corps

Arrival at Yokota Air Base (About 25 miles from Camp Zama)

After your flight has arrived, you will be met by a MAC representative who will escort all passengers to the Inbound Customs and Immigration Area. There you will be given a general briefing concerning immigration and customs clearance procedures, instructions on how to complete the immigration and customs forms and the location of the baggage pickup area.

After completion of immigration formalities, you will pick up your bags and go to the customs inspection area for inbound customs inspection.

After you leave the customs inspection area, you should check with the Army Air Traffic Coordinating Office (AATCO) for transportation to Camp Zama. The AATCO will either have transportation waiting or will arrange it for you. Your sponsor may meet you either at Yokota AB terminal or upon your arrival at Camp Zama. It is about a 90-minute drive from Yokota to Camp Zama.

Arrival at New Tokyo International Airport (Narita) (About 75 miles from Camp Zama)​

Clearance is through Japanese quarantine (second floor), and immigration is next (second floor). After completion, go downstairs to the baggage claim area. Claim your luggage at the designated baggage carousel (first floor) and proceed through customs.

After landing at Narita and upon completion of the immigration process and customs, proceed through the South Wing lobby toward the doors to the far right of the terminal. Buses to Camp Zama depart the short-term parking area at 3:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The bus ride will take anywhere from two to four hours.

You may use one of the two U.S. Forces telephones located at the Northwest Arrival Counter to connect you with the New Sanno Hotel switchboard in downtown Tokyo. To use the Army telephone, in the event that no transportation arrangements have been made and there are no TMP vehicles in the airport vicinity, you will be given instructions on how to proceed to Camp Zama by one of the following methods:

Purchase tickets for the Yokohama City Air Terminal (YCAT) limousine bus. Buses depart at about 30-minute intervals. A TMP vehicle will be dispatched to meet you at YCAT and transport you to Camp Zama. (Use caution buses depart for many other destinations besides YCAT.) The fare is ¥3,100 for adults and ¥1,550 for children.

Purchase tickets on the Yokota MWR bus for the New Sanno Hotel in downtown Tokyo. The bus makes two trips per day and the departure schedule can be provided by the MAC representative at the Northwest Airline counter. A TMP vehicle will provide onward transportation.

Wait at the airport until a TMP vehicle can make a pickup. This may be necessary if a pet is to be transported. Travel time from the TMP to Narita should be from two to four hours.

03

Population/Major Units Assigned

U.S. Army Japan

Camp Zama is home to the US Army Japan/9th Theater Army Area Command, the 17th Area Support Group, the United Nations Command (Rear), the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, the Japan Engineer District, the 78th Signal Battalion, the 3d Engineer Group of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and other units.

05

Temporary Lodging

Temporary Lodging at Camp Zama is at The Zama Lodge. The Zama Lodge has 131 rooms ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Room rates range from $35.00 -$53.00, depending on room type. To make reservations, call DSN 315-263-3830, commercial 046-251-3830, from stateside 011-81-3117-63-3830.

DV/VIP accommodations for active duty and retired O-6s or above, CSM and equivalent grade DOD civilian employees are in Bldg 550. No children are allowed in the DVQ rooms. You can make reservations through the base Protocol Office at DSN (315-263-3267) or Zama Lodging at DSN (315-263-3830). The rate for these DV rooms is $42.00 per night.

Each room is stocked with a microwave, refrigerator, iron with board, hairdryer, telephone, television with VHS/DVD player and coffee maker with some essential amenities provided for your first night's stay.

The Zama Lodge, located in Building 552, has services available including fax or email, gifts from Japan, free movies and information regarding the locality. Stop by the reception desk (24/7) for more information.

A free continental breakfast is offered every day at the Zama Community Club (Bldg. 457) for all lodging guests.

Other guest services offered at the Camp Zama Lodge include express checkout for DV's, free washers and dryers, accessible wireless web-surfing, automated wake-up service, a gazebo/patio area and sundry items.

Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. If you are traveling with children and will arrive before the check-in time, you (or your sponsor) may request reservations for the day before. This will allow your family to go directly to your room upon arrival.

Pets are not allowed to stay in the Zama Lodge. The Camp Zama kennels are available for your pets. For more information or to make kennel reservations, call DSN (315-263-5915).

06

Housing

U.S. Army Japan

Army Family Housing and Unaccompanied Personnel Housing are built by the Government of Japan (GOP) under the Facilities Improvement Program (FIP). Sponsors and their families assigned to Camp Zama installations may be offered housing in any of three housing areas: Sagamihara Family Housing Area (SFHA), Camp Zama Housing Area (CZ) and Sagami General Depot Housing Area (SGD). The Ondo Housing area is available for personnel assigned to Pier 6, Kure.

On-post family housing is normally available for all authorized personnel assigned to the installation; however, the waiting period fluctuates depending on housing availability and family size. Government quarters are authorized for military personnel in grades E-1 and above, eligible DOD civilian personnel with authorized Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) and American Red Cross personnel. Personnel who were authorized command sponsorship but were granted deferred travel or chose not to bring their approved concurrent travel family members may live in Unaccompanied Personnel Housing (UPH) or may be authorized to live in off-post housing.

Upon your visit to the housing office, a housing application form (USAG-J Form 1591) must be completed, verified, validated and signed by the Military Personnel Division (MPD) or the servicing Civilian Personnel Advisory Center (CPAC) office, and submitted immediately to the Housing Office on the first duty day of arrival to the installation. Applicants may be offered quarters immediately upon reporting to the housing office.

Assignments to government housing will include the high-rise, townhouses or single-dwelling units. The majority of the housing inventory is wooden dwelling units built between 1950 and 1955. Units may be heated by steam and cooled by window or split-type unit air conditioners. The housing units built after 1994 (concrete structures) have central heating and air-conditioning systems. The housing units built prior to 1994 have a radiator for heating and window-type air-conditioning systems.

Unaccompanied Personnel Housing (UPH) is very limited in space. The UPH facilities are fully furnished with government furniture, including refrigerators and stoves. There are no large storage spaces available for excess household goods. Additional storage may be obtained at your own expense from the Zama Outdoor Recreation Facility.

UPH is located in Camp Zama for eligible enlisted, officers and authorized DOD civilian personnel. UPH is also available at Akasaka Press Center (Hardy Barracks) Pier 6, Kure and Torii Communication Station, Okinawa, for personnel assigned to those locations. Based on your grade you are authorized either a studio (340 square feet) or a suite (444-460 square feet).

07

Child Care

Spc. Cody Thompson/U.S. Army

Camp Zama CDC and Sagamihara (SHA) CDC are National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accredited programs. Educational activities and programs are available for children ages 6 weeks through 6 years old. Centers are conveniently located in two housing areas, Sagamihara and Zama. The SHA CDC is located in Building S-107.

The three-day part-day preschool program located at Zama and SHA CDC runs concurrently with the Arnn Elementary Calendar. Children must be 3 years old and toilet-trained to participate. The program ends during the summer months. Hourly care reservations can be made through DSN (315-267-6852/6153). CDC hours are 5:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Family Child Care (FCC) homes at Camp Zama are limited. The number of FCC homes open can fluctuate from one to six depending on PCS season and need. You may find FCC providers at Camp Zama or the Sagamihara Housing Area.

School Age Services (SAS) offers before school, after school, hourly care, school-day out and summer camp programs. Transportation to and from Camp Zama is provided at the pickup and drop-off point at Zama Youth Services. SAS is located at the Sagamihara Housing area in building 337. Care is available Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. -8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on school days and from 5:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. for full-day service during school breaks. Summer camp is available from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. during the summer.

Summer camp is sold only in weekly packages and includes meals, snacks, high adventure activities and weekly field trips. Contact the SAS Coordinator at DSN (315-267-6317) for more information.

The Youth Center Program is located in Camp Zama in building 314. It is open to all youth in grades sixth through 12th.

08

Schools

Masayuki (Yuki) Kawagishi/Wikimedia Commons

There are two schools in the Zama school complex: John O. Arnn Elementary School and Zama American High School. If you have children in grades pre-K through sixth, they will attend Arnn Elementary School. Grades seven through 12 attend Zama American High School.

A typical school year for the Camp Zama-area schools runs from the last week in August to the second week in June. Schedules vary for both the elementary and high schools.

It is mandatory that all returning students register for school each year. Information updates are required to ensure sufficient staff is available to support student population. Registration packets are available upon request through the schools and may be obtained before your arrival.

The special education program for grades seven-12 is staffed by two full-time teachers, a half-time speech therapist, and paraprofessionals.

Parents who choose to educate their children at home are urged to consult with school officials (e.g., counselors) prior to making this decision. It is essential that parents utilize an educationally recognized independent home-study program. At the end of the academic year, parents are encouraged to test their child for academic achievement. A nationwide testing service is recommended. Students who are educated at home may be expected to take a DODDS administered test to ensure they are maintaining expected levels of learning prior to re-enrollment in a DODD school.

There are Japanese schools that Americans may attend on a tuition basis. Most require the student to speak Japanese. Some children enter these schools at preschool and kindergarten level and have a home tutor to help with their Japanese language skills. The Community Relations Office maintains information regarding these schools.

The School Liaison Officer (SLO) for the Zama Community is available to assist families who have school-age children enrolled in Zama High and Arnn Elementary School, or who are home-schooling their children. The School Liaison Officer is available to work with any school-related issues such as assist families involved in home-schooling their children by offering/coordinating resources that are available within the community that will help broaden their youth's hands-on knowledge and experiences. Call 263-3241 or visit the CYS Central Registration Office (Room 108, Bldg 533).

The Army Education Center located at Camp Zama has qualified personnel to provide educational as well as vocational-technical guidance. Military personnel, civilians, and family members, on a space-available basis, have many opportunities to continue their education while in Japan. Several civilian institutions offer resident credit at the Army Education Center, and classes are held during off-duty hours. The Central Texas College, the University of Maryland and University of Phoenix all participate in these programs.

09

Medical Care

U.S. Army

The US Army Medical Department Activity-Japan (MEDDAC-J) provides outpatient primary care and limited specialty care services to active duty personnel, retired military, Department of the Army civilians and their families. While the main service of MEDDAC-J is primary care, other services available include physical therapy, optometry, and behavioral health services.

MEDDAC-J is staffed by internal medicine and family practice physicians and a nurse practitioner who see all authorized beneficiaries. Social workers provide individual, marital, family and group counseling.

Specialists in pediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, dermatology, urology, allergy, and radiology are available at local U.S. Air Force and Navy hospitals. Referral by a MEDDAC-J provider is necessary for an appointment to see a specialist; however, MEDDAC-J personnel will assist in obtaining these appointments once the primary care manager refers the patient to specialty care. MEDDAC-J also provides a daily shuttle to and from Navy and Air Force Medical Treatment Facilities.

Active duty and their family members and retirees and their eligible family members receive medical care at the clinic at no cost; however, civilians are charged for care administered at either the military or Japanese healthcare facilities. The MEDDAC-Japan Community Relations Officer will liaison between the host-nation hospital and the patient to ensure prompt payment to the hospital. Payment mechanisms differ depending on the beneficiary category of the patient. If you have any questions concerning payments, please contact the MEDDAC-J Community Relations Officer at 315-263-8197.